Forgiveness You Cannot Imagine
by Katnibellamione
Summary: I know I have not posted on this channel in months, but I had this great idea come to me in a dream. That emotional pain and sadness as you slowly but surely move towards reconciliation with a person. Plus, tons of romantic stuff between Ron and Hermione! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: No Return on White Horse

**Chapter 1: No Return on White Horse**

"Hermione? Hermione!"

Inside the tent, Hermione Granger's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her best friend's voice. Exiting their humble abode in the middle of a snowy forest, her instincts immediately went into sisterly-concerned mode.

"What is it, Harry? Is everything all right?"

"It's fine. Actually, it's more than fine…. there's someone here." He chanced a glance back at someone behind him. Hermione followed his gaze…. and about fell over.

And there he was. Standing before her like a ghost. In fact (and the thought almost made Hermione cry), she had nearly forgotten what Ron Weasley looked like. Her secret crush gave her a goofy, almost stupid smile.

"Hey."

Nothing. Nothing at all spoken beyond that. Hermione felt herself boiling over, and she did not even try to control herself as she flew at Ron in a rage.

"You…. complete…. ARSE, Ronald Weasley!" She punctuated the last by whacking him on the arm with a pile of leaves she desperately seized from the forest floor, as no other, more suitable, weapons were to be had. "You crawl back here after _weeks_ \- and you say 'Hey'?" Her outrage was more than fair. That was it? No 'I missed you', no falling to his knees at her feet and begging for forgiveness? No promises to remain faithful to her, and only her, from now on? …..

Wait a minute. She was getting off-topic. Her mind whirled as she fought to return to the task at hand. A sudden flash of inspiration.

"Where's my wand, Harry?" Her sudden demand must have unnerved her friend, for Harry said "I don't know" a little too quickly.

He was lying, bullshitting - she knew it. She distinctly remembered giving it to him; after all, his own was broken.

"Harry Potter, you give me my wand!" Hermione spat, advancing on Harry until she had literally backed him into a tree.

"I don't have it!" and Harry held up his hands in placating surrender.

Ron chose this opportune time to open his stupid mouth again, if nothing else to save his best mate from also being ripped limb from limb. "Where's he got your wand?"

"Never mind where he's got my wand!" Hermione batted away, as she switched her sights back on Ron again. Slowly, she began to calm, but not calm enough, as her thoughts whirled on to the next stimulus. She noticed the blade hanging at Ron's side. "And how is it that you just _happened_ to find the sword of Gryffindor?" she prissily inquired.

"Hermione," Harry prodded timidly. "Ron just saved my life -"

"I don't care!" she screeched. "I don't care what he's done! What I really want to know is - " and she now eyed Ron the way a wife might eye her wayward husband. "- how he managed to get back to us?"

A moment of silence. Ron seemed relieved that he could finally say his piece. "With this." And he held up an object that Hermione recognized: Dumbledore's Deluminator. "Christmas morning, I was in a pub not far from Bill and Fleur's place, keeping away from some Snatchers. And I heard it. A voice. _Your_ voice, Hermione."

Hermione did not look amused, her gaze of stone refusing to abate as she crossed her arms. "And what exactly did I say, may I ask?" she indulged him, with bare politeness.

"My name. Just my name," and Ron smiled, as though proud that Hermione had even thought of him during his absence. "Ron. And then, suddenly, this floating ball of light appeared. It floated toward me, the ball of light. Went into my chest - straight through me. And I knew it was going to take me where I needed to go. I turned on the spot, and Disapparated, right to this hillside. It was dark, I had no idea where I was. I just hoped one of you would show yourselves…. and you did." He sighed with relief, still smiling, grateful eyes drifting towards Harry.

Well. That had to be the trippiest, most ridiculous story Hermione had ever heard from Ron. She should have laughed at him, mocked him. No one would have blamed her, least of all herself. But maintaing anger can leave you tired, so she merely snorted, "Don't think this changes anything." And she marched into the tent.

She would keep that promise, she knew. As far as she was concerned, she would continue with Ron as if he still wasn't there. That would teach him. That would teach him for leaving her.


	2. Chapter 2: Will We Ever Speak Again?

**Chapter 2: Will We Ever Speak Again?**

It had been nearly three weeks since Ron had returned to the Horcrux Hunt.

And in those three weeks, Hermione had not spoken a single word to him.

It wasn't as though he hadn't expected some awkwardness between them upon his return. He had. No, what Ron had not anticipated was how their friendship could become - and stay - so chilly. Hell, they barely seemed to have a friendship at all.

Ron tried everything to get back into Hermione's good graces. One evening, while she was on watch, he kicked Harry out of the tent so he could prepare Hermione's favorite meal - without magic. It was actually kind of fun, if he was being honest with himself. After gathering needed herbs and other ingredients, then transfiguring the remainder (food could not be conjured out of thin air), Ron soon managed to craft the best-looking meal since the start of the Hunt.

"Harry! You can come in now! Dinner's ready, mate!" Ron called. Harry entered the tent, a morose Hermione close behind him. Harry gawped.

"You actually made _dinner_?" he spluttered. Ron, quite pleased with himself, grinned at his friend's shock.

"Don't act so surprised. I'm not completely useless."

"That's debatable," Hermione muttered. Ron pretended not to have heard her, putting on a poker face even as her words plunged a stake through his heart. Instead, he busied himself with passing out the bowls of hot food. "Bon Apetit, ladies and gentlemen!"

The Trio gathered at the table. For just a moment, Ron thought he saw surprise flash across Hermione's face.

"Mediterranean pasta?"

"Complete with vegetables. Your favorite!" Ron said with as much cheerfulness and love as he could.

But Hermione didn't say anything. She spoke not a word to either of the boys for the rest of the meal, in fact. Yet Ron did note how she ate every last bit of food on her plate. He hoped that she and Harry had not starved while he had been gone. In fact, the thought that they _may_ have starved actually made him so sick, he nearly lost his own usually robust appetite.

As soon as she was finished, Hermione stood up. "I'd better take watch."

"But you just got off watch," Harry reminded her as delicately as he could. The glare Hermione sent his way made it clear that such a detail annoyed her; evidently, she only wanted to keep watch so as to stay as far as possible from Ron.

"You know what, I'd actually better take watch!" Ron called almost desperately, as he clumsily rose from the table in haste. "I haven't had a shift in a while. Harry….. just reminded me of that. Thanks, buddy."

Harry looked befuddled, as he had done nothing of the sort. "But I didn't remind you at all…. OW!" His eyes suddenly watered and he doubled over, signaling that Ron had just kicked him in the shins from under the table.

Ron half-expected Hermione to say even a simple thank you for his chivalry. Somehow, he should have known better. She wordlessly turned on her heel and stalked over to her bunk, climbing in.

Ron sighed. He had tried. Sadly, he trudged out to take the night watch. At least being out in the crisp air gave Hermione her space, and - more importantly - him time to think. Exhaling deeply so he could see his breath dance on the air, he remembered something Hermione had said the night he returned: _Don't think this changes anything._ Had she really meant that? Had he broken something between them that could never, ever be repaired?

And one last question: _Will we ever speak again?_

* * *

 **A/N: "Look at where we are. Look at where we started. I know I don't deserve you…. but hear me out. That would be enough…. I don't pretend to know the challenges we're facing. I know there's no replacing what we've lost, and you need time. But I'm not afraid…. Just let me stay here by your side. That would be enough." ~ Lin Manuel Miranda, _Hamilton_**

 **"Everywhere I turn, I've hurt someone. But there's nothing I can say to change the things I've done. Of all the things I've hid from you, I cannot hide the shame. And I pray someone, something, will come and take away the pain. There's no way out from this dark place. No hope, no future. I know why I can't be free. But I can't see another way. I can't face another day." ~ Phil Collins, _Brother Bear_**

 **"I can usually drink you right off of my mind, but I miss you tonight. I can normally push you right out of my heart, but I'm too tired to fight. Yeah, the whole thing begins and I let you sink into my veins, and I feel the pain like it's new. Everything that we were, everything that you said, everything that I did and that I couldn't too plays through tonight. Tonight your memory burns like a fire! With every one it grows higher and higher. I can't get over it; I just can't put out this love. I just sit in these flames, and pray that you come back. Close me eyes tightly, hold on and hope that I'm dreaming. Come wake me up!" ~ Rascal Flatts**


	3. Chapter 3: Make Him Work For It

**Chapter 3: Make Him Work For It**

Another week or so passed. And still, nothing was uttered between Ron and Hermione.

"I can't understand it, mate." Ron expressed one day, joining Harry on watch as they shared a cup of tea. "I knew things wouldn't be the same right when I came back, but…."

Harry patted his shoulder. "Give her time, mate."

"But I have! And space, too, plenty of that! Cooked her favorite meal, given her extra sleep by taking on more watch shifts….. You wanna know what I did yesterday? I actually opened a book! That's right, the slacker Ronald Weasley opened one of her books, and I _read_ it! I want to help - I've shown Hermione that I want to help - but she has just stayed mad at me. For over a month!"

Ron made a fair point. Harry didn't know what to say to that. "I mean…. you did hurt her real badly, Ron. Sometimes, the biggest lessons can't be learned overnight. Maybe that's what she's trying to communicate to you." He knew going back to the already-refuted time argument, even in a roundabout way, was not going to help. Oh, to hell with it; maybe Ron was right. Frankly, Harry himself was sick of this shit. His best friends' bizarre détente had gone on _way_ too long. Unfortunately, breaking the standoff was not the Chosen One's decision to make.

"So I have to work for it, then? Even more than I already am?" Ron pressed, demanding some sort of advice.

Harry shrugged. "I guess."

"Harry? Can you come here, please?"

Ron knew that when Hermione called Harry like that these days, she actually meant ' _Harry and Ron_ ' Honestly, she couldn't even say his name! How mental was that? She could say his name when he _wasn't_ there, but refuse to say it when he was? Merlin, he had screwed up. Both boys marched into the tent. Hermione held court, predictably with a book in her hand.

"I want to see Xenophilius Lovegood," she announced.

Harry blinked, baffled. "Pardon?"

"Xenophilius Lovegood. I've been reading the _Tales of Beedle the Bard_ book Dumbledore gave to me. There's a symbol inside of it, representing the Deathly Hallows - the same symbol that….."

"….. Mr. Lovegood wore to the wedding," Harry finished, understanding.

"Exactly! I don't know how yet, but I just have this feeling these Hallows have something to do with the Horcruxes."

Even in bad times like these, Ron knew that it was always best to trust Hermione's judgement. Especially when Harry was still unsure, as his friend appeared now.

"Hermione's right," Ron concurred, going to her side. "We should go see Lovegood." An idea struck him. "Let's vote on it. Those in favor….." He slowly raised his hand, but both Hermione and Harry just stared at him in bewilderment.

A painfully awkward silence followed. Ron retracted his hand about halfway, grimacing. He should have known better. The Golden Trio had never _voted_ on any decision before. Truth be told, their own little system of governance ran less like a democracy and more like a semi-dictatorship - a banana republic. Harry (and occasionally Hermione) would give the orders, and he, Ron, would just have to go along.

After a moment, Hermione just shook her head. But Ron noticed: could he be imagining it, or was that her amused smile he saw flash across her lips?

The moment ended, as Hermione moved to the front of the tent, prompting the boys to follow her as they began their journey to Xenophilius Lovegood. As they went along, Ron picked up tidbits of the conversation Harry and Hermione were having.

"….mad at him?" Harry was asking.

Hermione sighed. "I'm always mad at him." But there was a sentimentality to her exasperation.

Ron frowned. Guess in order to get Hermione's friendship back, he really _had_ to work for it. Though for how much longer, he could not be sure.


	4. C 4: Hermione Granger, Wounded Princess

**Chapter 4: Hermione Granger, Wounded Princess**

"And now, I think," Bellatrix was sneering. "We can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ron charged into the Malfoy drawing room like a bull. Half-dead, Hermione watched as he bravely launched himself at Bellatrix, managing to tackle the witch to the floor, dazing her. Greyback tried to lunge for Hermione, but Ron intercepted him and actually managed to take him down. Snarling like a man possessed, Ron pinned the werewolf down by the throat and grabbed a fallen wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Greyback yelped as his life was violently yanked from him.

"And stay dead!" Ron growled, giving the corpse one last kick. He gathered Hermione into his arms and began to drag her away from the battle already exploding between Harry and the Malfoys. Bellatrix was just rising to her feet. Dobby perched on the stair railing.

"Hurry, Master Weasley! We must take her away from here!"

"Ron, catch - and GO!" Harry roared, tossing Ron a wand. Ron caught it and immediately turned on the spot; the last thing he saw was a flash of movement from Bellatrix that he couldn't make out…..

* * *

 _Shell Cottage, Shell Cottage, Shell Cottage…._ Ron thought desperately, willing himself and his beloved Hermione as far away as possible from that dangerous hell called Malfoy Manor. He felt his body blast out of the Apparition process and the welcome senses of a coastal hideaway invaded him with an overwhelming sense of relief.

And then that relief disappeared as quickly as it had come, as Ron registered his love's precious blood staining his body. No, no, no - his body should be adorned in Hermione's embrace, not her blood! The more that was lost, the less there was to tether this perfect woman, and thus by extension himself, to the Earth.

Ron shifted Hermione in his arms so that he now cradled her. In any other circumstance, he would be elated to hold her as though she was his bride instead of a liberated prisoner of a war. He sprinted up the beach, screaming for his older brother Bill, Fleur, anyone.

Bill came bounding out onto the front porch. "Inside, now!" he ordered. "Take her to the room you stayed in!" Ron felt himself tripping on almost every step, barely catching himself. He almost didn't care to keep his own body from sprawling in a heap, so great was his haste to get to that room. The room meant sanctuary, and maybe (oh, Merlin, please!) safety at last for the woman he loved.

Ron carried Hermione into the room. He placed her gently on the bed and knelt beside her. Fleur soon burst in, carrying enough potions and supplies for a mini-Hospital Wing in her arms. "Ronald, I must streep her. You 'ave to leeve."

"No, ma'am," Ron barely kept himself from thundering his refusal. "I left her once. I'm not going to leave her again! You do your job, and it might not matter if I see her naked, cause if she lives, I am going to marry her!"

At one time, he would have hexed himself with his own wand before admitting his feelings for Hermione to anyone, never mind the Muggle-born beauty herself. Nevertheless, Fleur looked taken aback by Ron's promise, before she gave him a tender smile in understanding. She set to work immediately; Ron turning to face the wall anyway, out of reverence, as Hermione's womanly areas were revealed.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Finally, Fleur's voice:

"You can look now, Ronald." He turned back to see Hermione dressed and under the coverlet. "I applied Dittany to her wounds, and gave her ze best Wiggenweld potion I could make. I zink she weel be OK, but we weel have to see."

Ron nearly cried. It was a neutral response, but better than the worst. "Thank you."

Fleur smiled. "Anything for my future sister. 'Ermione is more than worthy of your love." And she left.

 _Ah_ , Ron lamented to himself. _But I am worthy of hers?_ Before the cursed Bellatrix had forced them apart, he and Hermione had still not been on speaking terms. Now, there was a chance he might never hear her voice again, that voice that could make his heart tap-dance even when she was telling him off. She was the mistress of his heart, no question; even unconsciously, he had surrendered long ago to the notion that Hermione's wants and needs reigned supreme - superior to his own.

Ron resumed his post, down on one knee beside the bed, like a sentinel on duty. As he caressed Hermione's hair with his fingers, he greedily drank in her face. How strange. How could any creature look so peaceful, still look so _beautiful_ , even after their life was nearly extinguished? The only greater beauty would be to see Hermione's eyes open, for her to have those eyes only for him. Ron let the tears spill out and fall on her upturned face, as all the shame of his previous actions ripped him asunder.

"Hermione. Oh, what have I done to you? Forgive me, Hermione! Forgive me!" He gathered her in his arms, shielding her from the world, even as her head lay thrown back and limp. He held her head now in his hands and gave her an expression so tender it may have unnerved others. And he spoke the words he had never had the bollocks to tell her when she was awake and alive and safe.

"I love you." His voice was hoarse, even to his own ears, but he didn't care. He bent and kissed her lips. Oh, Merlin. She tasted even better than she did in his dreams! And they were still warm! So very, very warm. Someday, in a world with no war, he would do this. Spend his days eating and sleeping and playing with their children and kissing his future wife without shame like other, free, ordinary people. Home.

"Mmmmmm…." For a moment, Ron thought it was he who had produced such a moan. Then, he felt a hand - the softest hand imaginable - brush his face. The lips he now kissed came alive, responding in the most glorious way, twitching into his as they kissed back.

Ron opened his eyes, drew away. And there she was. Like the princess in the Muggle stories his father used to read to him, Ron's kiss had awakened her. Awakened his Hermione.

"Ron?" Hermione's voice was soft, but it didn't matter - to Ron, it was sweet music. Her face held a mixture of perplexity and amusement.

"Yes, Hermione! I'm here!" Ron's joy breaking across his face and voice like the rising sun.

"Ron….. I feel so weak." Hermione reached for him. "I think I'm….."

"No!" And the protective side of Ron, protective almost to the point of dementia, resurged. He forbid her to say the word ' _dying_.' "You'll _live_ , Hermione! And I will kill that witch for you! So she never touches you again!" Recklessly, he made the vow, even if he doubted his own power to fulfill it.

Hermione smiled tenderly. "You don't have to kill anyone for me. I know. I understand." Her eyes filled with tears, and she began to weep. Ron pulled her into his arms and rocked her.

"It's all right, honey. Everything's all right….."

"Now you know how it feels," Hermione burst out resignedly. "Now you know how it feels to have someone leave you."

Shame crashed like a wave over Ron. His sobs were ripped from him anew, to join with his lover's. Hermione leaned into him.

"You're truly sorry. I can finally see that now. And you want to know how I know? I can feel those calloused hands that must have nearly broken as you tried to claw your way out of that cellar. I remember seeing you tackle Bellatrix. In….. in my mind, I can still hear your screaming. Screaming for _me_. It gave me reason to live. Now, I can finally tell you….." She pulled back to look Ron full in the face, and Ron's heart almost stopped. Tears streamed down Hermione's face, and her voice shook as she got out, "I _forgive_ you!"

Ron held her close and started bawling like a baby.

"And I _love_ you!" Hermione whispered in his ear, her voice as hoarse as his had been when he said those words. She planted a wet kiss on his cheek. Then his jawline. Her lips finally came to rest at the spot over his Adam's apple, suckling it in a way that made Ron want to groan. Merlin, if she wasn't so fragile, he'd have taken her, made sweet love to her, right then and there.

In that moment, Hermione's tenderness made Ron now repeat his declaration to her face. "Merlin, please don't ever scare me like that again! Stay with me! I - I love you!"

Hermione blinked in astonishment, before softly smiling. She knew she and Ron had a special connection, but she never thought Ron would ever be able to verbally express his feelings. Deep emotional outbursts had never been his thing - one of the reasons why she had known something was off when he wore the locket Horcrux.

But, once Ron said it, he couldn't seem to stop. "I love you. I love you. I love you." He was practically babbling, he knew, but he didn't care. "I love you; from the first moment I saw you, I loved you. You're the only woman I've ever loved in that way, I love you. I love you. Love you….."

They held each other in a warm embrace for a few moments. Neither moved even when Fleur came in.

"Ronald. 'Arry is safe. He needs your help with something outside."

Ron nodded, and Fleur left. He made to follow, but he felt Hermione cling to him harder still.

"Don't leave me!" she whimpered, like a small child.

"Ssssh. Never. Never again." He drew back to look at her, his hand brushing her cheek. "No matter where I go, you will also be my greatest treasure."

Hermione choked on her tears. "And you will always be in my heart!"

Slowly, Ron leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione slowly relaxed into the kiss, her eyes closing in contentment. Then, Ron rose from the bed and strode determinedly out of the bedroom, looking so handsome and like such a man. _Her_ man. That was how it would be now.

* * *

 **A/N: "Forgiveness…. can you imagine? Forgiveness." ~ Lin Manuel Miranda, _Hamilton_**

 **"I know it's hard, but you found somehow/ To look into your heart, and to forgive me now. / You've given me the strength to see just where my journey ends. / You've given me the strength to carry on. / I see the path from this dark place, I see my future. / Your forgiveness has set me free! / Oh and I can see another way / I can face another day!" ~ Phil Collins, _Brother Bear_ **


	5. Chapter 5: For Her Own Safety

**Chapter 5: For Her Own Safety**

Ron strolled outside to find Harry digging a hole in the sand, high on a dune overlooking the ocean. As he worked, the Chosen One was silent, his face hard and stoic. Unreadable, almost. Ron had known his best mate long enough to know that Harry was in his own little world, a remote enclave he sealed off whenever he needed to deal with his pain and anger alone.

"What's that for? A latrine?" Ron cracked, trying to comfort his friend. Harry didn't budge at the joke.

"No. It's not a latrine! It's a _grave_! We sent Dobby to his grave!" Harry growled.

Ron stopped cold. "Dobby? Bloody hell! He…. he saved our lives. _Her_ life….."

He thought the last was only to himself, but Harry picked up on it. Sometimes, that boy had better hearing than a bat.

"You here to blame me? I'm waiting, you know." His voice squeaked in odd places, and Ron knew that Harry understood just what kind of chaos he had wrought by merely uttering Voldemort's name by accident. Any anger at this reminder was suddenly stamped out, however. Ron shook his head.

"I'm done playing the Blame Game - especially towards anyone other than myself. You have nothing to be sorry for, mate."

"Is she all right?" Harry demanded, without even turning around.

"Yes, thank Merlin. A little shaken, but alive."

The Boy Who Lived let out a long breath. "Good. Because we have more work to do and…."

"Hold on!" Ron interrupted, his voice suddenly, dangerously low. "If you think we're going to just keep doing what we've been doing, have Hermione vulnerable like that….."

"Can you at least let me finish?" Harry snapped, whirling about to face Ron for the first time.

Ron's eyes burned like hot steel at his best mate. How quickly emotions could go on a roller coaster ride even without one meaning to. He pointed a wagging finger at Harry. "You think long and hard about what you're going to say to me next, Potter. Do you hear?"

Harry nodded. "I hear. As I was saying, We have more work to do….. and it isn't going to get done with Hermione in such weak shape. No matter what our next plan is, no matter where we end up going, she is staying here."

Ron grinned. "That's the best news I've heard all damn day. Great minds think alike, then." A sudden thought struck him. "She's not going to like this."

"There'll be nothing for her to like or dislike, because we're not telling her. Once we have our next move, the plan is between you and me. I have a feeling I know what comes next, but I need to speak to Ollivander and the Goblin to confirm. You in?"

Ron looked back to the house, where his beloved now dwelled, and nodded. "I'm game, mate."

"Then let's go. We have some former prisoners to interrogate. If my hunch is correct, prepare to leave early tomorrow morning, before dawn."

* * *

Harry's hunch turned out to be straight-on. Based on the intelligence Ollivander and Griphook gave them, the boys knew they needed to once again do the impossible: break into Gringotts Wizard Bank. Specifically, Bellatrix Lestrange's vault.

The plan came together quickly after that. Using another lucky hunch, Harry gambled (correctly, it turned out) that Hermione had inadvertently been stuck with some of Bellatrix's hair due to her torture. A little Polyjuice Potion, plus the Invisibility Cloak, and voila! A break-in so bonkers that it just might work!

Ron volunteered to do the wretched deed of turning into his love's tormentor. "Hey, if I'm gonna kill her, I have to know how she thinks," was the only reasoning he gave.

* * *

The light had not even reached the horizon when Ron reluctantly disentangled himself from where Hermione slept soundly. From her old clothes, he retrieved the vial which he had pocketed with Bellatrix's hair the night before. Knowing he would not come back to this room once he had turned into the Death Eater, he gave Hermione one last look.

The fading moonlight bathed her, giving her an ethereal glow, as though she was an angel being attended to. Eyes full of love and the hope that he would see her again, Ron bent over and gently kissed her goodbye, on the lips.

"Farewell, sweet Hermione. I love you, my dearest." His lover stirred in her slumber, but did not wake.

Looking his last upon her, Ron slipped away into the night.


	6. Chapter 6: (Un)Designated Survivor

**Chapter 6: (Un)Designated Survivor**

How many days had it been? Since she had awoken to find her best friend and her true love gone, only with a note from Ron telling her all the sweet nothings he could not put into words?

All she could do now was sit by the wireless in the kitchen of Shell Cottage, listening to Potterwatch's description of the Battle of Hogwarts in real time, fretting for her boys' safety and hoping Bill might return to check in and report that everyone was all right.

"HARRY? NO!" the voice over the radio screamed. And then, the frequencies picked up a voice that sent chills down Hermione's spine:

"Harry Potter is dead! And so is his pathetic sidekick Weasley!" Voldemort bellowed. "No one can threaten me now! They dared to destroy me, and I will not be merciful." Suddenly: "Hermione Granger, I now speak directly to you. You are all that remains of this so-called great 'Golden Trio.' Potter and Weasley were wise to try and hide you from me. Now their failure is complete. You will die, and be with them soon, so no man - or woman - can challenge me ever again!"

Hermione was now hyper-ventilating. He knew. Somehow, he knew who she was and was going to hunt her down. The Golden Trio picked off, one by one. Voldemort would rule forever, and she would never be free.

Choking on her tears of grief and fear, Hermione slowly but surely put enough of her wits together to somewhat accept her fate. If she could no longer have Ron in this world, then she would welcome the next world with anticipation.

Just then, Bill and Fleur burst into Shell Cottage by the Floo network. "Protection charms all over this place, immediately!" Bill ordered his wife. "Hermione, go to your room and don't come down until I say so!"

"Bill! Bill!" Hermione sobbed. "What's happening?"

"He's going to try and come for you, but we're not going to let him! No matter what, you will live! End of discussion."

Hermione wearily retreated to her room, fearing the worst and listening to the charms beginning to surround Shell Cottage.

"Salvio Hexia…. Protego Maximum….."

* * *

 **A/N: "I am here to tell you, we can never meet again. Simple, really, isn't it? A word or two and then, a lifetime of not knowing where or how or why or when. You'll think of me, or speak of me, and wonder what befell that someone you once loved so long ago, so well.**

 **Never wonder what I'll feel as living shuffles by. You don't have to ask me, and I need not reply. Every moment of my life from now until I die, I will think or dream of you and fail to understand how a perfect love can be confounded out of hand.**

 **Nothing can be altered, there is nothing to decide. No escape, no change of heart, nor any place to hide. You are all I'll ever want, but this I am denied. Sometimes in my darkest thoughts, I wish I'd never learned what it is to be in love and have that love returned.**

 **Is it written in the stars? Are we paying for some crime? Is that all that we are good for, just a stretch of mortal time? Is this God's experiment, in which we have no say? In which we're given paradise, but only for a day?" ~ Elton John, _Disney's Aida_**

 *****This is the song I imagined Hermione singing in this moment, mourning Ron. There's an excellent cover by Elton and featuring LeeAnn Rimes.**


	7. Chapter 7: Blessed by the Holy Spirit

**Chapter 7: Blessed by the Holy Spirit**

That first night was the longest of Hermione Granger's life.

She lay in her bed, feeling terribly cold without Ron's warmth beside her; no amount of covers could drive away the shivering that had managed to take over her body.

The chill was so horrible, she almost didn't notice how the room temperature seemed to plunge several more degrees in a matter of moments. Almost.

Hermione pulled the covers up to her chin and glanced around the dark room. She retrieved her wand from the nightstand. "Who's there?" she demanded. Had Voldemort broken through? Had he finally come for her?

No. The blinding white figure that suddenly appeared from nowhere was too shiny to be the Dark Lord. Even so, Hermione let out a little yelp.

The white figure was a lady - that much was certain - unparalleled in her beauty. And the soft smile she now gave Hermione made the young witch think that she seemed very familiar. A woman she had only seen in pictures, only known from Harry….

"Is it…. _you_?"

The angel smiled. "Indeed it is I, Lily Potter."

"Why…. why are you here?"

"My son sent me. He was barely reunited with me when he became adamant that someone intervene in your safety." Lily now paused and regarded the living woman across from her. "Well, come now, don't be shy! Rise, and come to me."

Slowly, Hermione did so, keeping a blanket wrapped around herself. As soon as she was face-to-face with the angel of Harry's mother, Lily gave her a tender look.

"Hermione, sweet girl, not all endings are happy. Some are scary. Some lives will endure perilous hardships before they end. I have seen your future, and you will be one of those poor souls. But, behold, there is a Being far more powerful than Voldemort, and he has smiled upon you, looked on you with His favor, this day. The Lord Jesus Christ - the _true_ Master of Life and Death - has said that you shall conceive and give birth to a child. It will have your blood flowing through its veins, blood that will unite it with you, just as my blood united me to my son."

Hermione gaped at Lily. "That's impossible…." she breathed. "I'm…. virgin. I…."

"My dear, with God, _all_ things are possible. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, creating in your womb a half-blood whose father you love and know well."

Hermione gasped, and her eyes filled with tears. Ron….. though not conceived by him in any earthly way, the child would be Ron's. She took a deep breath, and remembering words from a very similar tale she had heard as a little girl, she spoke: "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled."

Blinding light now radiated from Lily, and Hermione all at once felt herself lifted off the ground. Somewhere deep within her, she could feel a presence, still unable to be named or comprehended, join with her. Hermione was being held almost as if by invisible strings, head thrown back, her torso and stomach thrust forward.

"What… what is this? What's happening?" Hermione gasped, even as she was beginning to reach a logical conclusion. There was no answer, and suddenly, the light disappeared.

Lily was gone. And Hermione was back in her own bed, now set down a path she was uncertain if she was ready to begin.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, news from the outside world became more and more depressing. Final death counts and survivor confirmations were relayed over the now-underground Potterwatch. Voldemort consolidated his final grip over the Ministry of Magic, and his Death Eaters were dispatched throughout the streets, to kill any dissenters and even Muggle-borns, just for sickeningly fun. Hermione prayed that they would never find her brainwashed parents in Australia, whom she was all but certain she would never see again.

Even worse, Hermione soon began to feel extreme morning sickness, confirming her pregnancy endowed from the world beyond. Bill and Fleur seemed to suspect that she and Ron had made love sometime before he died, thereby impregnating her. Oh, if only they knew the truth!

A surprising spot of good news was that Ginny managed to turn up alive at Shell Cottage almost six weeks after the final battle - the only other Weasley to survive. And there was something else she brought with her.

"You are not going to believe me when I tell you, Hermione, but….." And Ginny was off, telling her best friend how she too was pregnant. Except it was a still-living Harry who had bedded her just before he left to face Voldemort in the woods, so the unanticipated conception of their child was from this world and no other. Having someone to sort of commiserate with, Hermione decided that only Ginny would be the one to hear the truth.

"And so, the Holy Spirit actually conceived your brother's child inside of me. I swear, Gin, I am telling the truth!" Hermione added when Ginny still looked skeptical.

"And Harry's _mum_ orchestrated all of this?"

"I swear on the Elder Wand!" Hermione promised. "I don't know what's going to happen to me…. but I do know this child will protect me even more from Voldemort."

Ginny finally nodded. "Well, no matter how it happened, there's going to be a lot of girl talk between us for the next nine months!"

Hermione smiled, her eyes filling with grateful tears, and she hugged her best friend.

* * *

 **A/N: Another Biblical reference/parallel. The moment with Lily and Hermione was the one that gave me the idea for this story. What do you all think?**


	8. Chapter 8: Two Worlds, One Family

**Chapter 8: Two Worlds, One Family**

The months passed slowly, Hermione living with her Weasley companions in exile. Voldemort's reign only extended. At first, reports showed he was still obsessed with finding Hermione and killing her, but by and by these whispers faded on the wind.

But Hermione knew better. Voldemort's fixation on her may have waned, but it was anything but gone.

Shell Cottage could give a person a unique kind of cabin fever, especially since even the beach was off-limits, thanks to the constant protection charms.

Yet Hermione tried to make the best of it. As her belly grew rounder and movements from within told her there was indeed life with her, Hermione found herself practically glowing. She awaited motherhood with a kind of breathless delight. Her optimism grew, and her grief gradually dissipated. True, maybe she would never get to marry Ron and be his wife.

But she _would_ be the mother of his child. That thought gave her new energy. She spent hours in bed, or looking out the window at the beautiful sea, all the while talking to her baby. She told it all about its famous father, how it had been sent to her as a blessing from Heaven, the plans she had for it.

"I can tell you're happy, little one. And how could you not be? I love you so much!" And Hermione meant it. Every word.

* * *

It was a cold February day, right on schedule, when Hermione's blessing from Christ was finally made human. When her water broke, she was filled with excitement and terror all at once. Bill and Fleur helped her all they could, a still very-pregant Ginny yelling them orders from her resting spot on a couch down the hall.

The last pains of labor were the hardest. Hermione's cries were the hardest to hear, even as she pushed her baby out of her body.

"Come on, Hermione, you can do it…." Bill encouraged.

"I can't! Uhhhhhhh! Oh, God! Ohhhhh…."

A new sound suddenly joined in. A baby's wail: "Wahhhhhhh…"

And there, in the same bedroom where she had lain from her injuries, the same bedroom where she and Ron had kissed, the same bedroom from where the Holy Spirit came down over her, Hermione gave birth to a beautiful daughter. One look at the little baby girl's red hair and its mother knew she had been right all along: this precious new life had Ron's genes. Plus, Hermione's eye color made the babe the most beautiful blend of its parents.

"My sweetest, cherished Rose," Hermione cooed as she rocked her daughter late into their first night together. "That's what I'll call you. Rose. Rose Diana Weasley."

* * *

Only days later would Ginny herself gave birth, to a son, whom she named Albus Severus Potter. The names were based on the story Harry had left her with, about how Dumbledore had known everything that was to come, and how Snape had turned out to be a hero in helping it all come to pass. Hermione smiled as she introduced her daughter to her nephew. Of course she understood. Besides, perhaps Harry would have wanted that name for his son.


	9. Chapter 9: Time's Up

**Chapter 9: Time's Up**

Over a year - nearly two, in fact - had passed since the offspring of the late Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley had emerged into the world.

And despite the fact that she was still cut off from the rest of Voldemort's dystopian civilization, Hermione was having the best life she could.

"Alby! Alby!" Rose threw a toy at her cousin, making the sounds preceding talking before laughing like crazy.

Watching the cousins play in Rose's playpen, Hermione could only smile in tender contentment. Nights like these were the best, when she could just sit on the couch with Ginny and listen to the children's laughter. Every moment was enhanced in its preciousness. Both Rose and Albus would be walking soon.

All at once, the peaceful stillness of the night was shattered as Hermione heard a terrible whooshing sound. It wasn't the wind, as Bill and Fleur suddenly ran through the living room and out the front door. Hermione's heart raced, for she suddenly knew.

The protection charms had been broken. Voldemort had found them.

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other.

"Take the kids upstairs," Ginny ordered. She ran to the window…. and screamed. "Bloody hell, Hermione, it's him! Take Rose and Albus and go! I'll hold him off!"

In a panic, Hermione gathered the babies into her arms and raced up the stairs. Rushing into Ginny's room, she placed Albus in his crib and covered him with his blanket.

"Stay quiet, honey. Auntie's gonna come back for you, I promise!" Leaping into the hall, she slammed the door, locked it and began frantically conjuring the most advanced protection charms she could think of.

"CRUCIO! REDUCTO!" bellowed a voice from downstairs - a voice that chilled Hermione's heart.

"YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, YA BASTARD!" Ginny's cussing actually made Hermione bite back a smile as he sprinted into her and Rose's room. She locked the door and repeated the protection charms before placing Rose in her crib.

Chaos, shouts and curses could be heard from downstairs. The house seemed to be tearing itself apart. The end, Hermione knew, could be moments away. Through the bars of the crib, the young mother now whispered soothingly to her child:

"Rosie, be safe. Rosie, be strong. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Be brave, sweetheart."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" followed by Ginny's final scream. Hermione shut her eyes to blink back the tears. Her sister-in-law was dead, and she suspected poor Bill and Fleur were, too. Her heart pounded with every footstep she heard drawing closer and closer up the stairs. Merlin, please….. please let the protection charms work…..

They did, but not for long. At last, there was an almighty crash as the bedroom door was blasted off its hinges. Hermione merely stood, hands gripping the crib, and an unusual sense of calm came over her. She suddenly found herself ready - more than ever - to confront her fate.

"Hermione Granger, the girl who tried to hide from me." Voldemort was practically purring, his voice sounded as noxious as fumes. "You are done defying me, my dear. Soon, your life will end, as will your child's."

At the threat to Rose's life, Hermione spun to face him. "You're not taking her," she growled, simplistic and direct in her determination.

"I'm afraid I must…."

"You're not taking her," Hermione repeated, her courage growing. Voldemort drew closer. The Greatest Witch of Her Age looked him dead in the eye, remembering something Harry had once told her long ago. "You're going to have to kill me, Tom."

Riddle's face curled into a snarl, incensed that this Mudblood would dare to use his Muggle name. "No problem. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There was a blinding flash of green light. Hermione screamed seemingly into a crushing silence. Her body crumpled to the foot of the crib. The last thing she saw was her Rosie - her greatest treasure - staring at her.

Then everything was gone. She had done what Lily Potter had done before her: sacrificed herself for her child, the child who shared her blood.

And history would continue to repeat itself, for moments later, when Voldemort tried to kill Rose, his curse rebounded once again. Only this time, it killed him - permanently.

* * *

Hermione was reunited with Harry and her beloved Ron in Heaven. From up above, they watched the wizarding world return to peace once more. Albus and Rose were spirited away to Hogwarts, to be raised there in the castle, as neither had any living relatives of their own now. Hermione missed her daughter, but she knew the girl would be all right. She would know the magical home of her parents. History would continue to be written. The Weasley and Potter lines would live on.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you all think? I would love reviews!**


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